Biker Mice From Mars Cleanup
by Dutchman001
Summary: The time has come to return home, and finally clean up all that threatens their lives
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER AND NOTES:

Biker Mice from Mars are not my property. They were created by the great mind of Rick Ungar, for which I thank him to this day (though I was disappointed by the Catatonian revival). This is a work of fiction meant as an hommage to the first tv-series.

Notes:  
1- I don't know if it will make a difference in the story at this time, but for this work, the 3-episode stories "Once upon a time on Mars" and "Back to Mars" will be chronologically switched. After all, how can Modo be surprised at seeing Rimfire as part of the Freedom Fighters, when he was already in his mid- to late teens in "Once upon...". Unfortunately, this happens when stories explaining backstories are written in hindsight. So, "Once upon..." happens roughly a month or two before "Back to Mars".  
2- I might be accused of using Dues Ex Machina. Hey, if it works, it works.  
3- The character Berry Beemdster is an original character. If you don't get it, Beemdster is a dutch cheese.  
4- Please, try to enjoy it.

"Throttle. We need you here. Please, come back." Carbine said as she gently touched Throttle's chin. Then, she disappeared in a flash.  
"Carbine!!" Throttle shouted as he raised himself suddenly in his bed. "Just a dream."  
But it didn't feel like a dream. The memory didn't fade like a dream always did. He was there, at Badlands Lookout. The last refuge for the freedom fighters.  
"Momma?! What's wrong? Rimfire!!"  
Throttle could hear Modo's call through both closed doors across the hall. Throttle sighed and grabbed his pants from besides his bed. There wouldn't be much sleep left anyway.  
"Hey big guy, you need some coffee?" Throttle called as he opened his door, fixing his belt.  
He got a confirming grunt, and took a few steps before realizing he only saw a field of grey with light sparkles. Even the dim light was enough to blind him. He had just gotten so used to the morning blindess, he could've made the coffee this way. He turned back to grab Stoker's old glasses from next to his bed before making his way to the small kitchen. As he passed Vinnie's open bedroom door, Throttle remembered Vinnie had taken Charley to the movies the night before. They were probably staying at the Last Chance.  
After a few minutes, Modo entered the kitchen, still fixing his chestpiece into place. His face betrayed a hell of a headache.  
"You were there too, weren't you? Badland." Throttle said as he added some coffee for an extra strong dose.  
"Yeah. Momma and Rimfire told me 'you three should get your butts back to Mars'. Well, Momma did, Rimfire was standing behind her, with his arm all bandaged up. This wasn't a dream." Modo said as he grabbed a chair and dropped himself on it.  
Throttle nodded to himself and turned the coffee maker on.  
"Looks like things have gone wrong. We need to..."  
"Go back home?"  
Throttle turned to see Charlene standing in the door leading out to the baseball field. Her face was twisted with sadness, and he could see she had been crying. Modo got back up as she walked to him and fell into his arms, her tears overcoming her again.  
"Charley-girl, what happened? Where's Vinnie?" Throttle said as he grabbed a third cup. She looked like she could use some too.  
"We had a great evening. He bragged of course, but he kept quiet during the movie, and he held me when there was a sad moment. We watched a movie on tv when we got back at the garage, and I fell asleep on his lap," Charley said as she bit back another sob, and allowed Modo to put her on a chair. "Next thing I know, I hear him jelling in his sleep. 'Harley? I'll come for you. I love you!'. Then he wakes up, and tries to laugh it of. But I know he didn't dream. I could see it in his eyes. What is going on?"  
Throttle and Modo locked eyes, a piece falling into place.  
"Oh great grandpoppa." Modo said as he put his hand on Charley's.  
Throttle took another chair next to Charley and looked at her.  
"You remember when we kicked Greasepit out the first time, and I showed you what happened on Mars? All mice are telepathic on contact with out antannaes. But Modo's great grandfather was different. He was capable of contacting other people all over the planet. But he couldn't stop seeing our thoughts when he was close. So he exiled himself. We thought he had died without knowing where."  
"But it looks like he didn't. And now, he's calling us home with our loved ones."  
Charley nodded and brushed her swollen eyes as Throttle got up to fill three cups with coffee.  
"Charley, where is Vinnie? Why isn't he with you?" Modo said as he took his cup from Throttle and nodded to him.  
Charley took hers and looked down at the dark liquid beforing taking a deep breath.  
"To the pits. I sent him there to help with the last steps." She said before taking a small emitter from the toolpouch on her belt. Activating it, she revealed the ship the mice first crashed on Earth with, rebuild and with many people around it.  
"Four-By and McCyber have been working on it for months. They just started when you arrested Limburger and took him back to Mars. I found the ship because of what you guys told me at the planet tug. To help Mars."  
"Charley-girl, you kept this secret for us?" Throttle said as he gazed at the hologram. "And last steps? How far along is it?"  
"Engines were tested last week, hull integrity the week before. They only needed to run the final diagnostic. It's completely run on Jack's virtual reality helmet."  
Modo put his cup away and walked to the window overlooking the field.  
"Home."

"Hey Vinnie, what's up?" Jack McCyber called out as Vinnie parked his bike next to the construction site and put his helmet on the gas tank.  
"Unbelievable." Vinnie responded as he gazed at the bike-shaped spaceship. It looked just like when they had launched from Mars to save it from being destroyed. Although this one had several laser turrets built against the side and top of the hull.  
"Vinnie at a loss for words. I'll be sure to tell Charlene about that." Jack said before seeing a shadow pass over the mouse's face. "Sorry, I said something wrong, didn't I?"  
Vinnie didn't respond as he walked up to the hull and touched the metal, as if making sure this was for real. From the scaffolding above, the form of Four-By came loose from a group of workers, looking down at Vinnie.  
"Get up here bro. You should see the inside of this thing. Courtesy of Lawrence Limburger and his poor security."  
Vinnie frowned before walking up the scaffolding and following the large man into the ship. Seven seats were arrayed around a pilot seat in the front of the ship, Jack's helmet hanging from a number of wires above it. To the back was a narrow hallway with glass doors on both sides. As Vinnie saw the sparse furniture, he realized what they were.  
"Cells? For who?"  
"Lawrence Lactavius Limburger. Napoleon Brie. Gutama Gouda. Jack Monterry. Gerald Gruyere. Romana Parmesana. Doctor Karbunkle. Greasepit. All the alien skum that don't belong on this planet." Four-By said as he touched a control, opening the cells. "If you guys are leaving, at least leave the planet a bit cleaner."  
Vinnie touched the glass lining the cells, recognizing the indestructable Plutarkian product.  
"Yeah. we might." Vinnie said as he realized this could both end their troubles, and completely ruin everything with Charley.  
"Hey Four-By, what's going on?" Modo's voice called from the entry to the ship.  
Vinnie cringed as he realized Charley had to be close too. Putting up his careless face, he walked back into the control area.  
"Hey guys, this could just work. Ofcourse, it can't be that good without me looking over every bit of this thing first. Hey Charley, I can't believ you kept all this secret." He said, seeing her turn away with a sad look to check the computer readout.  
Throttle looked at both of them, remembering the pain between him and Carbine when they were being accused of betraying Mars while on Earth.  
"Come on Vinnie, let's go check the engine bay." Throttle said as he pulled Vinnie outside.  
Inside, Modo put his good hand on Charley's shoulder in silent comfort.


	2. Chapter 2

Karbunkle sighed as the elevator plateau with his fat boss stopped moving with a crash. Another distraction from his work, and the stench would hang around long after the Plutarkian would leave.  
"Karbunkle!!" Limburger shouted as he stepped of the plateau and walked over to the skinny scientist.  
"Yes, oh overripe cheesyness?" Karbunkle responded with fake servitude, hoping this wouldn't take so long. After stuffing the third eye back in Fred the Mutant's skull, he turned around to find Limburger working on the displays for the security cameras.  
"For five days I have been looking at that infernal Last Chance garage standing empty. No one has come in or out of it since that Davidson woman kicked out one of the mice and then left herself. I don't like it." Limburger said as he aimed one of the security camera's at the quiet garage. "I want it destroyed as soon as possible."  
Karbunkle hissed a laugh as he walked over to the communications equipment.  
"Very well, I shall send Greasep.."  
"NO!!" Limburger yelled at him. "That blundering buffoon will just get beaten back and my tower will be destroyed once more. Oh no, this time, we're doing it better. Tell Greasepit to start a violent attack at the nearest bank he can find. Then, we will send a supervillain to attack the garage and then go after the mice."  
"Mhmmm, interesting." Karbunkle said as he relayed the message to the screen on Greasepit's trike. The fool was unable to work with a cell phone, but he could read and there was no way he could miss a written message right before him.  
"Very well then, to bring in a supervillain. I have been thinking about a very capable trio of aliens, all of them experts in ranged explosives. They were referred to me two days ago from an old friend." Karbunkle said as he turned the power to his teleporter on, going through the business cards he used to bring people to Earth. "Ah, here we are. Odd, no names, but I trust my contact."  
Putting the card into the machine, Karbunkle pulled the lever only to be distracted by a very scared call from the communications device.  
"Boss, that big guy with the truck from the Pits is here, he was waiting at the bank when we go.." the call broke of into static, leaving Karbunkle and Limburger looking at eachother.  
"Four-By? What he is he doing outside the Pits, and how could he know?" Limburger said more to himself as he heard the teleporter finishing his work, and three sets of feet stepping out.  
"That's easy sunshine," a cheerful, all-to familiar voice spoke out.  
"We told him where to wait for Greasepit," a darker voice added as Limburger and Karbunkle turned around, knowing exactly who the persons teleported to the lab were.  
"Special delivery for Lawrence Limburger," Vinnie said as he leveled his laserpistols, shooting past the pair to destroy the communications device, cutting them of from help.  
"A court order for the removal from planet Earth," Modo added, raising his arm and activating the built-in lasergun, aiming it right at Limburger's face.  
"For all on the Plutarkian payroll," Throttle finished the introduction, his glowing green fist connecting with the chin of the nearby Karbunkle, sending him to the ground.  
Limburger gasped before trying to regain his composure, smiling as he straightened his tie.  
"Now surely, dear mice, I'm sure we can..." he started, only to be cut of by three laser bolts hitting the ground before his feet.  
"Show's over Limburger. We already have Brie sitting in our cosy brig, and his number one is in Detroit PD custody. Now you two and Greasepit get to join him." Throttle said as he pulled out an explosive charge from his belt, throwing it against the lab wall.  
The explosion revealed a sight Limburger had not seen in a long time. A Martian space cruiser, three turrets aimed right at the tower.  
"Time to go, fishface," Vinnie stepped up to the Plutarkian, pulling out a pair of handcuffs. "Hands out, or I'm cuffing a pair of broken arms."  
For a moment, Limburger considered calling the bluff of the white mouse. But the hard look he got said enough. The joker was being serious for a change. With a sigh of defeat, Limburger put out his arms and felt the cold metal close around his wrists.  
Modo picked up Karbunkle by his belt, looking at Fred, who was sitting on the laboratory table, clapping his hand and tentacle together.  
"Ooh, hit me next, me next!"  
Modo sighed as he raised his blaster arm at the mutant.  
"Come on little guy. Karbunkle's going to need someone to vent his frustration on when he wakes up."  
The Martian cruiser turned and opened a hatch, extending a walking plank to the hole in the lab, allowing the mice to transport the prisoners inside and into the small glass cells.  
Charley and Jack quickly exited the ship into the lab, picking up specific items all around the room. Getting back into the ship, Jack smiled at Charley.  
"That fishface tried to destroy your garage a couple of times. You feel like taking the controls and getting back? I can put a monitor in front of his cell."  
Charley returned the smile, getting into the middle seat and pulling the suspended helmet over her head. Her vision was filled with all the status screens of the ship, her mind pulling up the controls for the turrets as she made the ship move back enough to get clear of any debris. At a few hundred feet, the laser turrets swiveled down towards the base of Limburger Tower, quickly reducing the stone base to rubble and making the tower collapse on itself.  
From behind her, Charley could hear the satisfying moan of despair coming from the cells, followed by the laughter of Brie sitting opposite of Limburger. With a grin, Charley removed the helmet, looking at Throttle sitting at the normal flight controls.  
"Let's go pick up Four-By and Greasepit, and get ready for the next one," she said as she got out of the seat and walked to the items they had taken from the lab, beginning with a group of small boxes. "Modo, get over here."  
Modo raised his eyebrows as he walked up to her, her body disguising what she was working on.  
"Have a seat, almost ready." she added as he heard her work with tools on metal.  
After a minute, she turned to reveal a gift he had almost been blackmailed with by Limburger. A new, advanced metal right arm.  
"I stole the plans for this arm last time we were in the lab. I just hit a snag with the connections to your body," she explained as she began to disconnect his old arm. "But Karbunkle was friendly enough to keep those on reserve. And together with parts from your old arm, we're golden."  
She quickly took the needed parts from Modo's old arm and placed them in the new one. "Throttle, you lift this against the joint, I'm going to torque it in place."  
Throttle quickly joined them, leaving Vinnie with a hurt look on his face as he walked past the cells and into the ship's engineering. As the arm was held in place, Charley took a large wrench to put the arm on solid and connected a few wires to the actuators that controlled the movement.  
"Uhm, Charley-girl? I'm moving my thumb now." Modo said as his metal hand gave Charley the finger.  
"Ooops," Charley responded with a sheepish grin as she turn one plug around. "How abour now?"  
Modo moved his fingers and made a fist, raising and extending his arm to bring out the laser cannon built into the lower arm. "Perfect work, Charley."  
Charley grinned as she took the compliment before putting her tools away. "As usual with your alien technology, I built in some improvements. Better armor plates, stronger energy cannon. This thing is better then what you have on your bikes."  
Smiling, Modo got up and flexed his arm as the cruiser was lowering altitude, the ramp extending again to show Four-By pushing Greasepit inside, guiding him to one of the free cells.  
"The boys are loading up Big Mo, what's next? Cleveland?"  
Jack nodded as he put the control helmet over his head.  
"Romana Parmesana, your ex-boyfriend is coming to town."

Karbunkle sighed as the elevator plateau with his fat boss stopped moving with a crash. Another distraction from his work, and the stench would hang around long after the Plutarkian would leave.  
"Karbunkle!!" Limburger shouted as he stepped of the plateau and walked over to the skinny scientist.  
"Yes, oh overripe cheesyness?" Karbunkle responded with fake servitude, hoping this wouldn't take so long. After stuffing the third eye back in Fred the Mutant's skull, he turned around to find Limburger working on the displays for the security cameras.  
"For five days I have been looking at that infernal Last Chance garage standing empty. No one has come in or out of it since that Davidson woman kicked out one of the mice and then left herself. I don't like it." Limburger said as he aimed one of the security camera's at the quiet garage. "I want it destroyed as soon as possible."  
Karbunkle hissed a laugh as he walked over to the communications equipment.  
"Very well, I shall send Greasep.."  
"NO!!" Limburger yelled at him. "That blundering buffoon will just get beaten back and my tower will be destroyed once more. Oh no, this time, we're doing it better. Tell Greasepit to start a violent attack at the nearest bank he can find. Then, we will send a supervillain to attack the garage and then go after the mice."  
"Mhmmm, interesting." Karbunkle said as he relayed the message to the screen on Greasepit's trike. The fool was unable to work with a cell phone, but he could read and there was no way he could miss a written message right before him.  
"Very well then, to bring in a supervillain. I have been thinking about a very capable trio of aliens, all of them experts in ranged explosives. They were referred to me two days ago from an old friend." Karbunkle said as he turned the power to his teleporter on, going through the business cards he used to bring people to Earth. "Ah, here we are. Odd, no names, but I trust my contact."  
Putting the card into the machine, Karbunkle pulled the lever only to be distracted by a very scared call from the communications device.  
"Boss, that big guy with the truck from the Pits is here, he was waiting at the bank when we go.." the call broke of into static, leaving Karbunkle and Limburger looking at eachother.  
"Four-By? What he is he doing outside the Pits, and how could he know?" Limburger said more to himself as he heard the teleporter finishing his work, and three sets of feet stepping out.  
"That's easy sunshine," a cheerful, all-to familiar voice spoke out.  
"We told him where to wait for Greasepit," a darker voice added as Limburger and Karbunkle turned around, knowing exactly who the persons teleported to the lab were.  
"Special delivery for Lawrence Limburger," Vinnie said as he leveled his laserpistols, shooting past the pair to destroy the communications device, cutting them of from help.  
"A court order for the removal from planet Earth," Modo added, raising his arm and activating the built-in lasergun, aiming it right at Limburger's face.  
"For all on the Plutarkian payroll," Throttle finished the introduction, his glowing green fist connecting with the chin of the nearby Karbunkle, sending him to the ground.  
Limburger gasped before trying to regain his composure, smiling as he straightened his tie.  
"Now surely, dear mice, I'm sure we can..." he started, only to be cut of by three laser bolts hitting the ground before his feet.  
"Show's over Limburger. We already have Brie sitting in our cosy brig, and his number one is in Detroit PD custody. Now you two and Greasepit get to join him." Throttle said as he pulled out an explosive charge from his belt, throwing it against the lab wall.  
The explosion revealed a sight Limburger had not seen in a long time. A Martian space cruiser, three turrets aimed right at the tower.  
"Time to go, fishface," Vinnie stepped up to the Plutarkian, pulling out a pair of handcuffs. "Hands out, or I'm cuffing a pair of broken arms."  
For a moment, Limburger considered calling the bluff of the white mouse. But the hard look he got said enough. The joker was being serious for a change. With a sigh of defeat, Limburger put out his arms and felt the cold metal close around his wrists.  
Modo picked up Karbunkle by his belt, looking at Fred, who was sitting on the laboratory table, clapping his hand and tentacle together.  
"Ooh, hit me next, me next!"  
Modo sighed as he raised his blaster arm at the mutant.  
"Come on little guy. Karbunkle's going to need someone to vent his frustration on when he wakes up."  
The Martian cruiser turned and opened a hatch, extending a walking plank to the hole in the lab, allowing the mice to transport the prisoners inside and into the small glass cells.  
Charley and Jack quickly exited the ship into the lab, picking up specific items all around the room. Getting back into the ship, Jack smiled at Charley.  
"That fishface tried to destroy your garage a couple of times. You feel like taking the controls and getting back? I can put a monitor in front of his cell."  
Charley returned the smile, getting into the middle seat and pulling the suspended helmet over her head. Her vision was filled with all the status screens of the ship, her mind pulling up the controls for the turrets as she made the ship move back enough to get clear of any debris. At a few hundred feet, the laser turrets swiveled down towards the base of Limburger Tower, quickly reducing the stone base to rubble and making the tower collapse on itself.  
From behind her, Charley could hear the satisfying moan of despair coming from the cells, followed by the laughter of Brie sitting opposite of Limburger. With a grin, Charley removed the helmet, looking at Throttle sitting at the normal flight controls.  
"Let's go pick up Four-By and Greasepit, and get ready for the next one," she said as she got out of the seat and walked to the items they had taken from the lab, beginning with a group of small boxes. "Modo, get over here."  
Modo raised his eyebrows as he walked up to her, her body disguising what she was working on.  
"Have a seat, almost ready." she added as he heard her work with tools on metal.  
After a minute, she turned to reveal a gift he had almost been blackmailed with by Limburger. A new, advanced metal right arm.  
"I stole the plans for this arm last time we were in the lab. I just hit a snag with the connections to your body," she explained as she began to disconnect his old arm. "But Karbunkle was friendly enough to keep those on reserve. And together with parts from your old arm, we're golden."  
She quickly took the needed parts from Modo's old arm and placed them in the new one. "Throttle, you lift this against the joint, I'm going to torque it in place."  
Throttle quickly joined them, leaving Vinnie with a hurt look on his face as he walked past the cells and into the ship's engineering. As the arm was held in place, Charley took a large wrench to put the arm on solid and connected a few wires to the actuators that controlled the movement.  
"Uhm, Charley-girl? I'm moving my thumb now." Modo said as his metal hand gave Charley the finger.  
"Ooops," Charley responded with a sheepish grin as she turn one plug around. "How abour now?"  
Modo moved his fingers and made a fist, raising and extending his arm to bring out the laser cannon built into the lower arm. "Perfect work, Charley."  
Charley grinned as she took the compliment before putting her tools away. "As usual with your alien technology, I built in some improvements. Better armor plates, stronger energy cannon. This thing is better then what you have on your bikes."  
Smiling, Modo got up and flexed his arm as the cruiser was lowering altitude, the ramp extending again to show Four-By pushing Greasepit inside, guiding him to one of the free cells.  
"The boys are loading up Big Mo, what's next? Cleveland?"  
Jack nodded as he put the control helmet over his head.  
"Romana Parmesana, your ex-boyfriend is coming to town."


	3. Chapter 3

"I have to ask, how did you infernal mice ever pull this of?" Limburger said as he leaned against his small cell wall, looking opposite him to face Napoleon Brie and Guyere Gouda in the adjoining cell.  
"That's simple, fish face," Throttle said in a cool voice as he got up and walked to the cell. "You Plutarkians are so focused on spying on eachother, you never thought about someone looking in on your spy cameras. Jack hacked all your signals over a month ago. All we had to do is send out feeds of your calm days to the others, while we mopped up."  
"Impressive to be sure," Parmezana said as she leaned over to see Throttle leaning against the side of the hallway. "I was wondering why Limburger was going over his failed acquisition of the oil refinery again. And my darling Jack did.. What was that?"  
A shudder had moved through the ship, making something change about the atmosphere in the ship.  
"That, my fellow conquistador, is the lack of air rushing past the hull of this ship. We have just left the atmosphere. But as to our previous subject, there is no way you could have done all this alone. Someone more powerful has been helping you." Limburger continued as he stared at Throttle.  
"And right you are, my friend," was the reaction to Limburger, coming from the speakers and eliciting a sigh from all the Plutarkians.  
"Barry Beemdster. Our European disgrace. When did you become traitor to your people?" Gouda answered as he looked up at the speaker mounted in the middle of the prison hallway.  
"The moment I set food on this planet. Unlike you, I don't like destroying planets. So when I was sent to Earth as my first job, I began slowly supplying the militaries here with technology. And as we speak, a weapons satellite is ready to launch, and the humans are building their first defense cruiser. Mars was the last planet Plutark completely ruined."  
"And Barry was friendly enough to give us all the Plutarkian codes for whatever is still in space around Mars," Throttle added as he turned away. "I think we have a nice tower on the Mars surface to surprise first. And I'm not sure we'll let him evacuate first."  
The last cold comment made Limburger frown, wondering why they had been taken alive then, if they planned to execute Stilton like this.  
"All hands to stations, get ready for the main engine burst. Vinnie, how's it going back there?" Jack called over the speakers as the mice and Charley took their stations.  
"Engines primed and ready. As soon as you clear the moon, Mars should be on a straight path," Vinnie called back, his voice calm and business-like, edged with anger.  
As the ship gave another shudder and the engines increased their work, Limburger became truely fearful of his fate, and a complete lack of options to escape this time. His thoughts were broken as he heard the woman speak the words that sealed the time he had to figure out a way to escape.  
"Prepping teleporter modulator. Mars orbit in 5, 4, 3, 2, now," she said as the ship engines began to howl to power the systems and the surroundings flashed.  
When he opened his eyes, Limburger pressed his face against the cell door to see the red planet filling the front window of the control area.  
"Oh dear..." were his words as the conventional drives kicked in and the ship flew, turrets blazing, towards a Plutarkian Battleship in orbit.

"STILTON!!" Lord Camembert yelled as the viewscreen activated in Stilton's office. "What is this report about one of our ships attacked in your orbit?"  
Dominic T. Stilton turned in his chair, his lies prepared.  
"A misunderstanding, oh great lord. There was a malfunction in the ship's engine room, which caused explosions to rock the ship, making the captain believe

he was attacked. Unfortunate, but nothing to worry abou..."  
"Conquistador Stilton. Scanners have picked up a Martian cruiser headed our way, and they have target locked the tower."  
"What are you..?" Stilton started to said as he walked towards the window his Plutarkian assistant was pointing at. In the distance, he recognized the motorcycle-shaped silhouette coming down on his tower.  
"Lord Camembert, send reinforcements. You, evacuate the tower!" Stilton yelled at his assistant before running for the door as laserlight began to fill the windows.  
On Plutark, Camembert looked in complete surprise as the room Stilton was still running through blew up and the connection was lost. Turning to another screen, he activated a new connection.  
"General, assemble the war council." Camembert ordered.

There was a large garrison at the base of Stilton's office. By the time they left the area, no Plutarkian soldier was left. Badlands Lookout was not far away and the three mice left the ship first, walking onto the sand surface of their home planet, the sand around the stony hill littered with Plutarkian battlecars and Sand Raider walkers along with Martian bikes. Bodies of the Plutarkians and Raiders had been left for scavengers but makeshift graves lay at the foot of the hill, each of them decorated with a helmet. Mourning their battlebrothers in silence they stood before the graves, Jack, Four-By and Charley standing behind them.  
Finally, Modo turned as his right eye glowed, his face contorted with rage and grief as he walked back into the ship. Throttle and Vinnie stopped the others from entering the ship.  
"Modo's mother and sister are here." Throttle explained as the ramp went back up.  
A minute later, flashes were visible from the front window.  
"We wanted to give them all a public trial and send the footage to Plutark. But if Limburger and his plans hadn't been around, we would have been able to come back sooner to help fight here. Him, and Karbunkle." Vinnie said as he began up the path to the lookout. "Stopping Modo would have been useless now anyway. All we can do is find out where the others are."  
The lookout itself was in a rather good shape, the graves indicating the other Freedom Fighters hadn't run in an all-out retreat. Throttle sat at the controls to the main computer, booting it up and accessing the system.  
"Controls are still good. Let's see if any comm signals are still active," he said as he began working, Charley helping him at the other side of the computer. "Here we go. That, that's the signal from the Martian Government. But their location, that's a Rat city."  
Vinnie almost knocked Charley out of the way as he rushed forward, confirming what Throttle said.  
"No way. They must be captured!" Vinnie said while he stepped back again, his face betraying doubt.  
"Only one way to find out. Sending a signal," Throttle said as he pressed a few buttons.  
There was a response within a minute, and two familiar faces filled the screen.  
"This is General Stoker of the Martian Resistance Army. We don't have visual, please check your outgoing signal."  
"Modo, get over here!" Vinnie called into the communicator of his helmet while Throttle flipped the switch, having kept the camera off for a reason.  
"Is that..? Vinnie, is that your voice?" Stoker said as his face revealed the video feed was coming through. "Throttle, Vinnie?"  
"Miss Charley?" Rimfire added as he leaned over. "Where is uncle Modo, is he there?"  
"Modo is coming now. Stoker, what is going on? What are you doing with Rats?" Vinnie said as he bit out the last word as an insult.  
"A lot has changed in two weeks Vincent. You get your tails over here, we might just have a chance now."  
Modo came running into the control room, relief changing his face as he looked at his nephew.  
"Rimfire, you're okay. What happened here?" Modo said as he leaned on the computer as he saw a look of hurt on his nephew's face.  
"Come over here soldiers. This is nothing to be discussed like this. I'm sending you the clearance codes, Stoker out." The screen went black before two sets of numbers appeared in red on the screen.  
Jack scribbled down the numbers before following the group. As they entered the ship, they ignored two new bodies in the sand, one fat form dressed in purple, and a skinny form in a white coat which were covered with sand as the ship began to lift of.

Charley sat to the side, carefully attempting to disguise she was looking at her three best friends. Everything that was ever in her shop was now loaded in this ship, along with their bikes, Big Mo, Jack's cyber bike and her own high tech motor. She had given up Earth when she got on this ship, only to find something had changed. They had been carefree, funloving, and in Vinnie's case, flirtatious. Sure they worried about home, but it looked like they were making progress on Mars. And now, they found the reality of war coming down on them as they had on Stilton. Vinnie suddenly turned and looked straight at her, causing her to turn away and look out of the window. She heard him stand up abruptly and walk to the engineering section again, where he had gone of to everytime she had ignored him in some way.  
"Enough," she told herself as she turned in her seat and got up, following the white-furred macho.  
"Vinnie, we need to talk," she said as she closed the door behind her, looking at him working at one of the computer screens.  
"I'm sorry Charley, not now," he responded in a soft, monotome voice.  
"Yes, now!" she said as she stepped over and made him face her, looking in eachothers eyes before she hugged him.  
"Harley is still calling you, isn't she?" she whispered in his ear.  
"Yes, she is," Vinnie answered, putting his arms around Charley as he felt a tear form in his good eye. "They say they're working with the rats. But why isn't she safe then?"  
"I promise you I'll help you find out Vinnie. And I'm here for you, just remember that. I'm one of you."  
Vinnie swallowed hard, the shell he had tried to build falling apart. He loved both women, how could he ever choose?

"Uncle Modo!!" Rimfire shouted as he ran up the ramp and into Modo's arms. The rest walked around the pair, respecting the loss they were both still faced with.  
Standing with a twitching metal tail, Stoker looked at the group coming down. Throttle was the first to notice a military badge on the chest of the former resistance leader.  
"Colonel Stoker?" he said with disbelief in his voice as he put his right hand on the shoulder of the older mouse, the gesture returned as they looked in eachothers eyes.  
"A lot has changed, commander Throttle. Including our unofficial Resistance ranks officialy accepted in the Martian Army." Stoker told Throttle before turning to Vinnie, greeting him in the same way. "And some new ranks being handed out, though I still wonder whose bright idea it was to give this punk the responsibility of a lieutenant."  
The rookie and the coach looked at eachother before grinning, taking any chance of lightening the mood.  
"Stoker, where is Carbine?" Throttle finally asked as everyone had gathered around them.  
"Preparing the rest of the generals and the new Martian government. We'll tell you what happened in the last year there." Stoker told them before walking to an open door in the nearby building.  
Looking out over the empty streets, Charley wondered if this had ever been like her neighbourhood used to be. Alive and full of children. And could it return to that?  
Filled with questions, Charley quickly found herself in some kind of command centre, with a large hologram of Mars hoovering over a circular table seperated in three sections, a raised surface at every seperation. She quickly recognised Carbine sitting with a group of decorated officers, both Mouse and Rat, all in the same uniforms. The second section were all rats, dressed in more casual clothing. With their backs towards the entrance, but quickly turning their heads, was a group of mice, also dressed in casual clothing.  
"Generals, councilmembers, these are the Biker Mice from Earth, and their allies." Stoker announced as he walked to the raised position belonging to the military. Tapping a button, the Hologram quickly turned into a bird's eye view of the remains of Stilton's base and garrison.  
"And they have made one hell of an entrance as you all know. But first, I think we nee..." he tried to continue before he realised Carbine wasn't in her chair anymore.  
She was standing with her arms around Throttle's neck, hanging on for dear life, causing a chuckle around the entire table.  
"General, no fraternizing with the lower ranks." Stoker admonished, eliciting a round of laughter from the table.  
Throttle whispered something and Carbine nodded, releasing her grip after another kiss and returning to her seat, Throttle standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders.  
"After that incident with Limburger and the unfortunate misinformation we received, things were looking better. The water coming from the ice asteroid allowed for a sudden burst in growth of our hardiest plantlife. But that also made the plutarkians believe there was another round of resources to be found, and Stilton brought in fresh excavators to dig out the fertile pieces of soil. We were almost defeated three weeks ago, when we got a call at Badlands. The rats wanted a truce. Vinnie, there was a chism here. A part of the rats still work for themselves and the fish. And they're led by Mace."  
Vinnie looked at Stoker before looking at the rats, his hard eyes scanning the looks of the rats at the table.  
"Where is he?" was the only thing he said.  
"You already know, young vincent." A new voice said from a corner in the far end of the room. An old voice that made Modo look up.  
"Grandfather?" Modo asked as he stepped to the cloaked form, which pulled down the hood to reveal an old, grey mouse.  
"Good to see you all back here. I wish my daughter could have been here with us, but she and your sister made it possible for everyone to escape here in the last assault. Their deeds will be legendary. But only if we have people who will remember it. So don't throw away your life in anger and vengeance young Modo. You still have a nephew who needs you. And as for you Vincent," he said as he turned his attention again. "you have known from the start where my other grandchild is. A place even we can't attack right now."  
Vinnie closed his eyes as he nodded.  
"That scavenging bastard. The old base under the monestary. He's holding her in my old room," Vinnie said before opening his eyes. "I saw it through her eyes."  
"We all know what you have to do. But you can't do this guns blazing. Lay down your ego for now, and use the skills you know you have."  
Vinnie nodded as he walked to Throttle, clasping hands.  
"Bring her back Vinnie. We'll be ready."  
Charley watched Vinnie leave the room, allowing the briefing to take her mind away until she felt a soft hand on her shoulder.  
"Charley?" a female voice said, making her turn around. "I'm Primer. Rimfire told me a lot about you."  
Charley looked at the young woman, her brown fur contrasted by long blonde hair reaching down to her belt. The young woman suddenly winked with a strange smile.  
"He never mentioned how pretty you were,"  
That one almost took Charley of her feet as she forced herself to keep looking at her. She was dressed in loose pants and a tight sleeveless shirt, a toolbelt hanging loose on her hips. The long hair was tied together with a couple of elastic bands, each about fifteen centimeters apart.  
"Anyway, we don't have many women here at the base, Carbine asked me if I would shelter you in my room for a few days until we can make arrangements. I can offer you a change of clothes too, if you want."  
Charley looked at the council talking before nodding.  
"Is there a shower too?"

A thin beam of light crossed the darkness, making the lone woman in the room try to open her eyes. But she hadn't seen the light for days, and it hurt. Something broke the light, and she could hear feet softly coming in.  
"What do you want now Mace?" she whispered defiantly, knowing he couldn't take it that her spirit hadn't been broken yet.  
"Do I really smell that bad?"  
She gasped, trying to turn her head to the door as she bit her teeth together. Her arm touched the floor, the arm Mace had broken a month ago.  
"Vinnie? Please tell me this isn't another dream." she said, almost pleading with herself to wake up from this false hope.  
She was answered with a tender hand touching her cheek, and a cloaked form kneeling next to her.  
"I'm here Harley. And you're coming with me."  
"Oh really? The great hero comes to save the girl. And how were you expecting to escape a base on full alert?" a mocking voice joined the conversation as the room became bathed in the light as the door was opened fully.  
"Mace." Vinnie growled through his teeth as his left hand brushed over his right before standing up straight. "I hoped you'd notice the guard behind the rock. He didn't mind me borrowing his robes."  
"Wrong place Vincent. And she'll pay for that," Mace said as his hand shot towards the pistol on his waist.  
But the hand never came close. Vinnie exploded in movement, pulling back his right arm before hitting Mace with a glowing green fist. Nuke Knucks gave punches a concussive force to send enemies flying. But Throttle always pulled his punches to prevent killing people. Vinnie didn't.  
Harley heard a sickening crunch as Vinnie put his full strenght into the blow. Mace let out a gurgling breath and went through his knees and fell forward on his face, blood streaming from his ears.  
"Bro's, now." Vinnie spoke into his helmet as he removed the cloak to wrap Harley in it. "Hang on sweatheart."  
As Vinnie picked her up, explosions began rocking the former resistance hide out. Alarms started sounding too late as Mace had warned everyone about an enemy from within. Not the new Martian army and a fully active space cruiser. Picking his way to the hidden evacuation hallway, the rats mostly ignored him as they were too busy saving their own tails. They had taken a bet on the door being undiscovered, and they had been right. The rats had placed a weapons rack right against it, and Vinnie needed to break down the door to get through it. Charley was waiting with a rat driver in a buggy, quickly helping Harley onto a makeshift gurney and driving away. As they got away, the firefights suddenly died down as the diversionary attack stopped. The rats had fortitied the monestary, and even with surprise on their side, the army would soon be outgunned.

"How did it go?" Primer said as she heard the door open and close, walking out of the small bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body.  
Charley raised her thumb before taking of her high military boots, sitting on the side of the field bed. It had been tense, and somehow Mars felt warmer then Earth, though that just might be the sand. She was covered in sweat and fine sand, and she needed a shower. She pulled of her tank top and began to unhook her bra, before she noticed Primer looking at her.  
"You're still dry, you didn't shower yet?" Charley said as a lump lodged in her throat.  
"No, I was about to. But the shower has enough room," Primer responded with a grin.  
Charley knew about herself she was bi, she just never really acted on it, her work as a mechanic mostly bringing her in contact with men. But now there was this girl, a mechanic like her, not really hiding the attraction. And she had seen Vinnie as they brought Harley back. She knew the macho liked her, but she had seen love in his eyes now. Love for Harley.  
"Sure," Charley said as a bad smile formed on her face, her hands unhooking her bra before starting on her belt, "lead the way."


	4. Chapter 4

Charley yawned as she started to wake up, only to feel the odd sensation of fur against her back. She had gotten used to hugging the bro's, but this was her full bare skin being touched by Primer. She carefully moved an arm away from her waist and slipped away from the one person bed they managed to share. There was light coming from the small window at the top of the wall, and she decided to see if she could get some work done on Carbine's bike as she promised. She took a quick shower to get some of the sweat from her body, knowing it was a useless exercise to get the other scents from her. The mice all had very good noses, and they would smell Primer all over her.  
"You're addicted to those bikes," Primer said with a chuckle as she stroked Charley's back.  
"I didn't want to wake you up," Charley responded, slipping her hand over Primer's tigh.  
"I've been listening to you breathe for the last hour,"  
Charley reluctantly broke the touch, which gave her a feeling she had missed since she broke up with Jack. It was a touch of longing, in a way she hadn't felt with Vinnie because they hadn't gotten to that point. She was still figuring out what made her act on Primer this fast.  
"Having doubts?" Primer asked as she sat up, covering her chest with the sheets.  
"Not really. I know it all happened pretty quick, but I'm happy with this," Charley said before turning and kissing primer quickly. "now I'm going to shower and keep a promise. Could you check in with Modo? He's been like a brother to me, and I don't want us to break that friendship."  
"Don't worry Charley. I think he already knows,"  
Charley perked a brow as she finally pulled herself away, grabbing a towel from a shelf.  
"Why do you think that?"  
"Just before you went to get Harley, he asked me if we were getting along, and he did it with the biggest wink I ever saw," Primer chuckled again as she followed Charley to the bathroom. "how soon do you need to get to the garage?"  
"Well, I think I have some..."  
Charley couldn't finish her sentence as Primer pushed herself into the woman and under the shower head.

"Uuuhhh," Harley groaned as she began to wake up, making Vinnie stir from his slumber.  
"Harley, baby, are you okay?" he asked intently as he gently took her good hand.  
"I'm thinking of something funny to say, but that's your department," Harley managed to mumble, squeezing Vinnie's hand.  
"I'm just happy I found you again. I really thought I lost you when Mace disappeared with you," Vinnie dropped every inch of sarcastic humor, seeing no one else was in the hospital room. He was just there with the woman he loved for years, the women he had fought over with Stoker. He was happy.  
"How's my arm?" Harley asked as she broke away from Vinnie's eyes and looked at the cast around her other arm.  
"We had to break it again and reset it. It should be out of the cast in a month. The rest of your wounds were painful, but nothing permanent," she was answered by a male rat in a medic's uniform, making Harley crawl against the headrest of the bed in fear.  
"What are you doing here, you piece of,"  
"Harley, calm down. He's on our side," Vinnie tried to assure her, holding her hand as he put his other arm around her shoulder, "trust me, I'm still adjusting too."  
The doctor put down the digital reader he was holding, nodding to himself.  
"I'll send one of the other doctors. No need to make the patient anxious."  
Vinnie nodded in silent gratitude, before turning back to Harley.  
"Baby, how about I start from the beginning? I have so much to tell you."  
"Yeah, that sounds good," Harley whispered back, "tell me about Earth please."

Modo found Throttle, Carbine and Stoker around the holographic map of Mars along with some generals.  
"Captain Modo. Good to have you here," one of the generals said before turning back to the map.  
"Modo, I think we have something for you that you'll like. I need you to lead a heavy weapons team to the only ally Mace and his rats had. The sand raiders," Stoker explained the summons they had sent to the grey giant, "small team, but plenty of weapons. Four-By is going with you, and he's preparing right now."  
Modo nodded as he looked at the map.  
"They still use that canyon as a camp? This is going to be easy," Modo said as he looked at stoker.  
"Don't be too sure Modo. They fortified the surroundings, and they can send plenty of weapons. That's why we're sending you. Too small to look like an all out-attack, but enough power to blow through the defenses quick," Carbine added as the door opened again.  
"Generals? The team is ready for the Captain to report."  
Modo turned to look at his nephew, standing at attention.  
"Thank you lieutenant. Please tell the team the captain will be there soon," the first general told Rimfire, who saluted and left the room.  
"Rimfire is your first officer for the mission. He's become a fine soldier, he was the last to evacuate the Badlands. And he's on the road to become captain himself."  
Modo turned to Carbine and nodded.  
"Thank you all for looking after him. It means a lot to me. Throttle?"  
Throttle nodded and walked towards the door with his old friend.  
"I have a bad feeling bro. This is all going too easy. Why haven't the Plutarkians reacted to our attack on all the bases and ships here? Jack's been hunting their battlecruisers three days straight, but no reïnforcements," Modo shook his head, "it's like something worse is coming."  
"Don't worry big guy. We're getting ready for that, trust us."  
"I trust you bro, you know that," Modo said as he suddenly straightened and saluted Throttle. "If that was all, commodore?"  
"It is captain, dismissed," Throttle replied with a salute of his own.  
As he returned to the map table, Stoker patted his shoulder before turning his attention to the plans.

"How are you feeling Harley?" Charley asked as she stood at the bed.  
"Getting better. Still adjusting to this whole coöperation thing though," Harley replied as she let Vinnie put the pillow behind her back, letting her sit up, "thank you Vincent."  
Vinnie nodded and looked at Charley.  
"If you ladies excuse me? I won't be able to stand here and keep your names seperated, I'll be checking with command."  
He kissed Harley and gave Charley a quick hug before leaving the room, fully aware of the gossip about to break out the moment he left the door.  
"You first," Harley said, knowing Vinnie could hear it.

"Lookout, status?"  
"No activity visible. They look at rest."  
"Confirmed. Four-By?" Modo said as he looked through the electric scope on the bazooka.  
"Artillery is ready and awaiting you command Modo," came the response through the commlink.  
Modo nodded to Rimfire, who relayed a command through his own comm. Moments later, a turret on the far side of the canyon was blown up. The scope showed all the turrets on his side turned away.  
"Fire all, fire all," Modo commanded as he squeezed the trigger, sending a missile at the spot he kept the laser pointed on.  
Every turret that was a threat to the team was destroyed in those first seconds. The second wave came from the lookout that gave a straight line of sight into the raider base. Before the raiders got organized, many lay already dead.  
"All units to the vehicles. Hoss!!"  
From a little futher back, the blue chopper roared and pulled up to the driver. Behind it came a monster truck mounted with a pair of missile launchers.  
"Go go go, don't let them regroup!" Rimfire called out through the comm as he followed Modo on his own bike, pulling the largest size laser pistol available from his holster.


	5. Chapter 5

Vinnie smiled to himself as he watched Harley sleep, her head resting on his chest. It was funny. Just two weeks ago, he expected to find Charley in this position with him. But she was sharing a room with Modo's niece now. Now that was a surprise to the macho mouse.  
He stared at the ceiling of the room he had been given. Somewhere up there, Jack was looking out for any Plutarkians coming their way to seek retribution for the death of Stilton. Four-By was up with him, because the piloting helmet was only made for humans. Two humans, piloting a now mouse-crewed ship to protect a planet. Vinnie still had trouble with realizing this was no longer a light hearted fight against Limburger, but a struggle to completely free their race. And in just ten hours, they would really piss the fish of. All the Plutarkians caught in the prison below the military base would be executed just before noon. And the video feed would be sent to all the Plutarkian communication networks by Jack.  
"Now the fight really starts"  
Harley shifted in her sleep at Vinnie's words, tightening her grip as if she wasn't planning to let go of him until the sun stopped burning. Vinnie caressed her cheek and tried to get more comfortable. He would personally order the soldiers who had the honor of performing the shooting, and he wasn't going to be sleepy when it happened.

Charley moaned under the caresses of Primer, putting her hands on those of the female mouse, only to be pushed away and assaulted by gentle strokes once more.  
"Don't stop me now, I didn't stop you either," Primer whispered as she moved up to get face to face with Charley, her hands staying low on the human's body.  
"I know," Charley responded before giving Primer a short kiss. "I just wanted to fall asleep with you. A lot is going to happen tomorrow and we need to be rested."  
Primer chuckled as her other hand touched Charley's cheek.  
"I only need five more minutes," she promised before kissing Charley's neck, and moving those kisses down along her body, causing Charley to throw her head back in a long moan.

Throttle and Carbine sat on top one of the tall city buildings, looking at sunlight beginning to push away the stars over the horizon. Neither of them was saying anything, picking up on each other's thoughts and emotions. Not even a Plutarkian fleet overhead could change their feelings right now. Throttle had his hand on Carbine's stomach, covered by her hand, together protecting the new life growing inside her.

Modo was standing in the command room with Rimfire, overlooking the reports that were being sent from the sentry posts all the time. Letting out a stifled yawn, Modo looked at his nephew giving commands to the patrols. They had been gone for just under two years, and the boy had turned into a commander. Coach Stoker had done well, and he knew his grey old mother was looking at the two of them from somewhere.  
"Speaking of the devil," Modo thought to himself as he saw the brown mouse enter the command room.  
"Anything new on the scanners?" Stoker asked while checking Rimfire's screens.  
"Nothing general," Rimfire replied as he pulled up some secondary information for Stoker to check, "no new info on the raiders, and the rats keep coming in to join us. I guess the monastery showed the old ways are gone."  
Stoker nodded to himself and padded Rimfire on the shoulder.  
"Good work kid… I mean lieutenant. You're dismissed, morning staff will be relieving you in minutes anyway, I need to speak to the captain."  
"Yes sir, thank you. Sleep well captain," Rimfire stood and saluted the pair before making sure the screens were set up for the next shift.  
Modo and Stoker waited for the young man to leave the room, then sat down at the command table.  
"You wanted to talk to me Modo?" Stoker asked as he looked at the giant.  
"I overheard Jako and Len two days ago. I know what you're planning to do with the ship." Modo told Stoker, his face even.  
Stoker looked around the room and back and Modo.  
"Why isn't Carbine here then to tell me I'm relieved from my position?"  
"Because I want to go with you. I know how the ship works, you need my help," Modo explained as he leaned back on his chair.  
"Modo, do you know why I chose those two to go with me?" Stoker asked, seeing on Modo's face he didn't, "Because they have nothing left. No family, their closest friends and battle brothers dead. A lot like me. You know I lost my wife and daughter in slavery to those fishheads, and it ends now. Are you at the same point?"  
Modo was quiet for a few minutes until his thoughts were broken by two mice and three rats entering the room to start the new shift. Looking Stoker straight in the eyes, he nodded.  
"Then meet me at the shuttle pad tonight just after the evening shift has started. They won't miss you until the night shift starts," Stoker instructed before getting up, leaving Modo alone to transfer the shift over to the new officers.

"Present arms," Vinnie declared with a clear voice, looking at the prisoners without any emotion on his face.  
All these Plutarkians had the deaths of many on their hands on Earth, Mars, and other planets before. Brie had been yelling and begging since he was dragged from cell, pleading for his life. The other men had given up on being saved or set free, standing straight and somewhat proud. They still believed they had been in their rights as superior beings, destroying planets and lives to feed the festering wound called Plutark.  
Only Romana Parmezana spoke calmly, looking at Carbine who was next to the camera.  
"They will destroy you vermin for this. If you had traded us to our government, you might have been given a little breathing room. But now, our great fleet will come and destroy you to the last child. This planet will be as dead as the humans think it is," she spat out.  
"We offered to trade you, but they refused. I guess you screwed up too much," Carbine lied, savoring the surprised looks on all their faces. "lieutenant?"  
"For leading an illegal war on both the races of Mars and Earth, for being directly responsible for the death of many individuals, for the theft of natural resources of both planets, the government of planet Mars has decided that the only possible penalty is death by firing squad. Your bodies will be teleported directly to the largest public square on Plutark, as a warning to your government," Vinnie read out loud from a portable digital reader.  
Carbine nodded and took one last look at the frightened faces of the Plutarkians. Her hand unconsciously found her stomach, reminding herself they could not be soft hearted, if their people were to survive the years to come.  
Vinnie waited a short time before raising his hand.  
"Take aim," he ordered the twelve soldiers who had their helmet visors altered to hide their faces.  
Six of them were firing low intensity shots that would only leave burns. The other six had their setting on kill.  
"Fire."

"Modo, why are you here?" Jack asked as he removed the helmet from his head.  
"Where is Four-By, Jack?" Modo asked calmly as he walked to the pilot seat.  
"In his quarters, asleep. Why?"  
He never got an answer as Modo raised his hand and sprayed Jack in the face with a strong sedative. Seconds later, he fell out of his chair to be caught by Modo.  
"Hurry, and be quiet, we don't want to wake him up," Stoker told the other two who were moving quickly. The surprised mice manning the other controls and looked into the barrels of Modo's arm, and Stoker's pistol.  
"Captain, general, what is going on?" one of them asked as she got up from her console.  
"We're taking over the ship. Take everyone on the shuttle, and if you value your lives, don't alert the surface until we've left orbit," Stoker explained quickly, turning and using his tail to disarm the only one who had the wits to pull out his pistol.  
They made the crew load out a big crate before being pushed on along with the unconscious bodies of Jack and Four-By. Then, Stoker looked at the helmsman who had confronted him.  
"Can you operate the teleport drive and the teleporter?" he asked in front of the surprised Modo.  
The only thing Modo heard before going out cold was the confirming answer. When he woke up, he was in a bed in the infirmary of the military base.

"By the time you guys hear this, you already know what we did. Modo, I know you thought we were going to strike the Plutarkian fleet, destroy their military leadership in a suicide mission. But that would never be enough. I knew there was only one way to destroy their threat once and for all, and that was to make them extinct. That is also why I couldn't let you come. You have your bros, and Rimfire and Primer need you. The three of us are responsible for genocide, making us the same as the Plutarkians that were executed yesterday. We only let you help us take the ship, because we couldn't let the secret get out.  
Our planet should be safe now. The Plutarkians have their own kind to think about. We calculated that there should be less than a million of them are living off-planet. After this, they'll be busy for years to get their things together.  
I have just one request. Never call me coach or general ever again. I don't deserve those titles any more. Ride free bros, and take care."  
All of the council and close friends of Stoker were looking at the face of him on the holographic display. Silence filled the room as this hammer fell down on the news of the Plutarkian home being targeted by a chemical weapon. Plutarkians needed oxygen like just about every species out there. Stoker had created a catalyst that made all the oxygen in the atmosphere create combinations with other gasses, leaving no breathable air behind. In less than twelve hours, every Plutarkian still on the planet had suffocated.  
"This meeting is adjourned. Please keep this quiet for the near future, we need to decide how to deal with.."  
The civilian council leader was cut off by the sudden sounding of the alert. From the side, Rimfire turned on his chair.  
"Plutarkian battle cruiser just left hyperspeed. Only one so far, largest class we have data on."  
"Jack, get to the ship and get it into space. Bring planetary defenses online, full battle readiness," Carbine quickly ordered, only to be answered by Rimfire's rapid sending of commands to the surface-to-space weaponry placed by the Plutarkians and taken over by the resistance in the last year, and Jack running out to the landing pad.  
"Let's go bros," Vinnie said as he pulled out his pistol and checked the powerpack, his only response being a set of bewildered faces.  
"What are you thinking of?" Throttle asked as he looked Vinnie in the eyes.  
"We went through a ship like that before. I don't care how good our ship is, it will get blasted in minutes. We take our bikes, and we shoot that thing up from the inside. Stoker gave up his life to keep our planet safe. If we don't stop this ship, we're still dead."  
"Wow Vincent. I never knew you actually had a way with words," Throttle said before turning to Carbine, "General?"  
"Just come back commander. You better."  
Throttle hugged Carbine as a tear welled up in her eye. At the door, the three whistled for their bikes, mounting them before following Jack.  
Charley walked up to Carbine and gave her a comforting hug.  
"They'll be back. One way or the other, they always come back."  
"I know Charley, he has a baby to come home to," Carbine replied before her legs gave out, and she sat on her chair.  
Charley looked at the door slowly sliding shut, and prayed that she hadn't lied to Carbine.


End file.
